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Ludhiana

Ludhiana, the largest city of Punjab, is situated on the old bank of the Sutlej River. It is a major industrial hub of the state and is considered as the "Manchester of India". It is mainly popular for its religious sightseeing attractions, which includes various Gurudwaras and shrines along with its popular Punjab Agricultural University Museum.

History:

Ludhiana's history goes a back a long way to 1481 when it was just a small village called Meer Hota. Initially ruled by yodhas from the 1st to the 4th century, it subsequently came under King Samudragupta and the Rajputs .The original Ludhianavis actually settled here much later in the 9th century. And then came the Punjabi races of Sidhus, Gills, Sandhus and Grewals from the jungle of Jagraon.
In the early 19th century, it has been under the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1806) for a short period. During that time, it became an important British cantonment before the British took it over in 1809. They confined the Maharaja's control to the right bank of the River Sutlej and the British troops were permanently stationed in Ludhiana.

Accessibility:

There are many long distance direct train connections, linking Ludhiana to major centres in India. Daily bus service connect Ludhiana with Delhi and other towns in Punjab and neighbouring states.
Air: Ludhiana has an airport of its own, popularly called the Sahnewal Airport. It provides a platform to both civil and defense flights. Since it is located at a distance of hardly 5 km from the city centre, it is easily accessible as well. Domestic flights like Indian Airlines, Air Deccan, and Spice Jet operate regular flights to and from Ludhiana. The next nearest airport from Ludhiana is the Chandigarh airport, which is at a distance of 100 km. Various domestic flights, like Indian Airlines, and Jet Airways, operate to and from the Chandigarh airport. Amritsar, located 136 km from Ludhiana, also has an airport. Both domestic and international flights operate to and from Amritsar. After reaching the airport, you can hire a taxi or bus for reaching Ludhiana conveniently.

Rail: Ludhiana has a well maintained railway station of its own. There are regular trains running between New Delhi and Ludhiana. The Express and Super Fast trains regularly ply to and from the city. Even fast trains connect it with important places in India, like Calcutta, Mumbai, Puri, Nagpur, and Jammu. The important trains coming and going from Ludhiana include Frontier Mail, Jammu Tawi, Delux Express, Shatabdi Express, Utkal Express and Howrah Mail. Even the intra-state rail connection is strong and passenger trains regularly operate from the major towns of Punjab to Ludhiana.

Road: Ludhiana is located on the Amritsar-Delhi section of the Grand Trunk Road. Various key destinations in Punjab, such as Jalandar, Amritsar and Chandigarh, are well linked with the city, through an excellent road network. NH95 connects Ludhiana to Chandigarh Ferozpur. There is both private and government buses connecting Ludhiana to many parts of the country. These buses provide a means of communication within the state as well. Bus services are available to Himachal, Delhi, Chandigarh, UP, and Rajasthan. Important road links include Delhi, Shimla, Chandigarh, Rishikesh, Kulu, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Jammu, Jaipur and many other cities.

Shopping:

Ludhiana has a number of things to offer to its tourists, which they would want to take back home. All over the city, there are innumerable shops selling various items catering to the daily needs of the people. There is a grand display of Punjab's traditional handicrafts, like phulkari, jootis, parandis, jewelries, dress materials etc. Also, one can shop for the modern items that are widely available in almost all the shopping centers. Ludhiana has both modern and old markets. This is so because it is among those cities that have grown at a phenomenal pace, in the Post-Partition era. A unique thing about Ludhiana is that you can find a market almost all the products. For example, cycles are readily available in cycle market. If one intends to shop for hosiery products, Sunder Nagar or Dal Bazar or Chawal Market or Bajra Nagar will be the best option. Akal Market, Dr.Gujjar Mal Road, Karim Pura Bazar are famous for textiles and Mochpura Bazar for quality range of shawls and blankets.